Steering wheel



July 30, 1957 T. w. LORING ET AL 2,800,730

STEERING WHEEL.

United ues Pa@m STEERING WHEEL Thomas W. Loring, Lansing, Mich, andStanley R. Carsn and Raymond C. Davis, Dayton, Ohio, assignors toGeneral Motors Corporatian, Detroit, Mich, a corporation 0f DelawareApplication September 4, 1953, Serial N0. 378,522

4 Claims. (C1. 402.2

This invention relates to band wheels and more especially to steeringwheels as used in connection with autornotive vehicles.

An object of the present invention is to provide a steering wheel with arecess in a body portion thereof and an insert with an insigniaassociated therewith so the insignia will be suitably located 011 thesteering wheel when the insert is positioned in said recess.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a steering wheelWith a recess in a body portion thereof so that a transparent inserthaving an insignia associated therewith may be positioned and securedtherein.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a steering wheelWith a transparent or partially transparent insert which is securelyheld in a recess formed in the body portion thereof so that an insigniaassociated with the insert will be visible through the transparentportion of the material of the insert.

It is another object cf the present invention to form an ornamentalsteering wheel by a method wherein the steps include; providing asteering wheel with a recess on a rim portion thereof, providing aninsert of transparent material having a shape complernentary to theshape of the recess and a surface portion oorresponding to the outerconfiguration of the body porti-on of said wheel said insert having aninsignia associated therewith and finally securing said insert in therecess, so that surface portions thereof Will correspond to the surfaceof the wheel and the insignia portion associated therewith will bevisible through the transparent material of the insert.

Further objects and advantages 0f the present inven den will be apparentfrorn the following description reference being had to the accornpanyingdrawings wherein a preferred embodiment of the present invention isclearly shown.

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a plan view of a steering wheel with an insignia located in aportion of its rim.

Fig. 2 is an enlarged view of a portion of the steering wheel wherein aninsignia carrying insert is positioned.

Fig. 3 in cross section shows an insert having an embossed insigniaformed on a face of the insert that is positioned in a suitaole recessin the body of a steering wheel.

Fig. 4 in cross section shows a modification as shown in Fig. 3 whereina metallic feil between the insert and the body portion and the wheelacts as a reflecting surface for the insignia formed in the insert.

Fig. 5 is another modification of the steering wheel in Fig. 3 whereinthe embossed insignia is formed on the body portion of the steeringwheel.

Fig. 6 is a further modification wherein a separate insignia ispositioned between the insert and the body of the steering wheel.

Fig. 7 is a further modification wherein a polished portion of the metalreenforcing rnember of the wheel acts as a reflecting surfaee for theinsignia forrned in the insert.

2,800730 Patented July 30, 1 957 In the drawings, numeral 20 designatesa steering wheel having a reenforcing member 22 that is at leastpartially covered by a molded body portion 24 to form spokes 21 and arim portion 23. The body portion 24 of rim 23 has a suitably formedrecess 26 fiormed thereon so an insert 28, made frorn a transparentplastic material, may be secured therein. An insignia 30 associated Withinsert 28 is arranged so it is visible through the material of theinsert when it is received in recess 26.

Insert 28 is sized so as to be snugly secured in recess 26 by a suitablemeans, and has an outer surface 32 that is shaped to conform to thecontours of the outer surface of the body portion 24 -of wheel 20 toform a continuous onter surface for steering wheel 20 when the insert 28is in position. A surface 34, rernote from outer surface 32, has (Figs.3, 4 and 7) an insignia embossed therein so it will appear through thetransparent material cf insert 28 in raised relief. V

The design preferably may have a contrasting surface 29 formed onporti-ons thereof by any sui table method, i. e. painting, metaldepositing, as in Fig. 3, or a metallic foil 31, as in Fig. 4, which maybe formed in various ways; for example as in Figures 5, 6 and 7 so as toenhance the appearance of steering wheel 20.

In Fig. 5 the insignia 30 is formed in the body portion 24 of thesteering wheel 20. In Fig. 6 a separate design 36 is positioned betweeninsert 28A and body portion 24. vThis modification cornprehends anarrangement whereby the insignia may consiSt of individual sections o1letters that are reflected by a contrasting surface 29A forrned on theinterior portions of recess 26, manifestly in this embodirnent thesections er letters may be suitab1y secured to a metal feil so they aremaintained in correct position by the foil and are reflected thereby.

In Fig. 7 a portion 37 of the metallic reenforcing member 22 has beensuitably shaped and polished to provide a metallic refiecting surfacefor the insignia 30 associated with insert 28. In this embodiment, therecess portion 26 of steering wheel body 24 extends in depth to themetallic reenforcing mernber 22 so a second transparent insert 38 may bepositioned between insert 28 and a polished portion 37 Will pass lightso the design 30 may be visible through insert 28.

It is apparent that according to the present invention any suitabledesign or mark may be provided on the rim of a steering wheel. Thesedesigns may be of any desired shape and may consist of any insignia,indicia, mark, name, trademark, trade-name, crest, seal, or any otherform as may be proper in a steering wheel.

In forming the contrasting surfaces, any suitable method, such aspainting, metal deposition or a colored er metallic foil 01' leaf may beused and the present invention also cornprehends the use of a two-stepmolding process wherein van'ouscolored plastics may form the insertand/er insignia which may be located in either rim or spoke portions cfthe steering wheel and be there secured by any suitable cement, glue,other suitable cohesive m-aterial and other securing means as pegs,dowels,ete.

It is apparent the present invention comprehends the positioning of theinsignia portion of the insert beneath the outer surface of the insert.Manifestly the insignia may also extend to the 0uter surface of theinsert er even project beyond the surface of the body ortion of thewheel as disclosed and claimed in U. S. patent application Ser. N0.378,559, and assigned to the assignee of the present invention. In thisembodiment the insignia is properly formed and located in the insert andif desired, the insert may be of other than transparent material Whereinthe insignia may be formed as a separate part and included therein by atwo step molding process.

er be formed as an integral part by any other suitable methodhereinbefore set forth.

While the embodiment of the present invention as herein disclosedconstitutes a preferred form, it is to be understood that other formsmight be adopted.

What is elaimed is as follows:

1. In a method for forming an ornament-al steering wheel, the stepscomprising; forrning a steering wheel having an open recess on a portioncf its rim in alignment With a polished surface portion on an embeddedreinforcing member therefor, forming a pair of inserts of transparentmaterial each sizedto be snugly received in said recess with one of saidinserts having a smooth top surface and an insignia adjacent a bottomsurface and the other insert being of contrasting color than said oneinsert, and finally inserting and securing said inserts in said recessso the other of said inserts is in contact With the polished surfaee ofthe reinforeing mernber on said member so the polished surface and thecontrasting color of said other layer Will appear as a backgronnd forthe design adjacent said one insert when said design is viewed throughsaid top surface.

2. An ornamental steering wheel comprising in combination; a metalreinforcing rim having a polished portion, a molded body covering atleast a portion of said rein forcing rim and having a predeterh1inedouter surface configuration, an open re iess in said molded body inalignment with the polished portion of said rirn, an insert oftransparent material sized to be received in said recess having outerand inner surface portions Wherein the Guter surface portion has a shapecorresponding in ing a continuation theref when said insert ispositioned insignia in a steering wheel that is visib1e through thematerial of the insert.

3. The steering wheel as set forth in elaim 2 wherein the insigniaassociated with said insert having raised surface portions thereon,includes raised surface portions on the inner surfaee of said insertwhich raised portions are visible through the transparent maten'al ofsaid insert.

4. The steering wheel as Set forth in elaim 2 wherein the insigniaassociated with said insert includes a second insert of transparentmaterial that is sized to be received in a recess of the rim and supportthe immer surface of said insert and the contrasting surface consists ofa polished surface portion of the metal reinforcing rim of said steeringwheeh Refehences Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS430,774 Hamilton Inne 24, 1890 1626,383 4 Boedtcher Apr. 26, 19271916753 Clarke July 4, 1933 2,001349 Husted May 14 1935 2,085023 HustedInne 29, 1937 21'14711 Horinstein Apr. 19, 1938 2,367800 Rakas Jan. 23,1945 2383884 Palmquist Aug. 28 1945

